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> commuter bikes fitted with belt drivetrains (Gates Carbon Drive) paired with internally geared hubs. The reduction in maintenance effort is purported to be si

> commuter bikes fitted with belt drivetrains (Gates Carbon Drive) paired with internally geared hubs. The reduction in maintenance effort is purported to be significant My understanding is that the tradeoffs are: 1. Weight 2. Cost 3. Lack of user serviceability. It definitely seems like a good tradeoff in some circumstances - particularly in rainy environments.

maaaats 7y ago
Or snowy with salt in the winter. For winter cycling the weight isn't really an issue for me, the bike is already sluggish with big studded tires and accessories and clothing etc. Maybe I will try it, the serviceability cannot be worse than the stuff I have to do now to maintain it..
- nordsieck 7y ago
  > the serviceability cannot be worse than the stuff I have to do now to maintain it.. My understanding is that you can't maintain the hub shifter at all. It's sealed so it's generally pretty low maintenance, but if/when it eventually breaks you have to send it to the factory for repair.
  - romwell 7y ago
    In my many years of having bikes with internal gear hubs, some new and some decades old, I've never had a single with them. The internal gear hubs have been perfected before derailers even became a thing; it's a very mature tech. You can[1] do some maintenance on them. I don't have any experience with that, as all my internally-hubbed bikes were stolen long before such a point :-) :-( [1]https://www.sheldonbrown.com/internal-gears.html https://www.sheldonbrown.com/internal-gears.html
parsimo2010 7y ago
It's a good tradeoff in commuter purposes. It's not a good tradeoff for racing, which is where most tech is developed. One big tradeoff you missed is efficiency. The belt drive is efficient, but internally geared hubs are currently less efficient than traditional derailleur setups. Losing watts to drivetrain loss is a major reason that internal hubs are not as popular with human powered bikes. The durability and maintenance need to be WAY better to get someone to switch over.

maaaats 7y ago

Or snowy with salt in the winter. For winter cycling the weight isn't really an issue for me, the bike is already sluggish with big studded tires and accessories and clothing etc. Maybe I will try it, the serviceability cannot be worse than the stuff I have to do now to maintain it..

nordsieck 7y ago
> the serviceability cannot be worse than the stuff I have to do now to maintain it.. My understanding is that you can't maintain the hub shifter at all. It's sealed so it's generally pretty low maintenance, but if/when it eventually breaks you have to send it to the factory for repair.
- romwell 7y ago
  In my many years of having bikes with internal gear hubs, some new and some decades old, I've never had a single with them. The internal gear hubs have been perfected before derailers even became a thing; it's a very mature tech. You can[1] do some maintenance on them. I don't have any experience with that, as all my internally-hubbed bikes were stolen long before such a point :-) :-( [1]https://www.sheldonbrown.com/internal-gears.html https://www.sheldonbrown.com/internal-gears.html

parsimo2010 7y ago

It's a good tradeoff in commuter purposes. It's not a good tradeoff for racing, which is where most tech is developed. One big tradeoff you missed is efficiency. The belt drive is efficient, but internally geared hubs are currently less efficient than traditional derailleur setups. Losing watts to drivetrain loss is a major reason that internal hubs are not as popular with human powered bikes. The durability and maintenance need to be WAY better to get someone to switch over.